LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 -- Initial Impression.

Another late initial impression. As the title says, next up for me will be LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. The game was developed by Traveler's Tales and was published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. This is the fourth intellectual property in the series beyond LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones, and LEGO Batman. I'm expecting the same fun gameplay I've gotten from the entire series. I'm expecting the same clean and very plastic looking simplistic graphics. I'm expecting liberal use of the source material's score. I'm also expecting the same great humor as the rest of the series. And I'm also expecting to collect millions and millions of LEGO studs. Based on what I've seen so far through year one at Hogwarts I believe the game is going to deliver all of that and more. Because of the source material it seems the focus has shifted from combat to puzzles. Hogwarts really doesn't have hundreds and hundreds of stormtroopers or non-Nazis or super villain thugs to shoot, whip, or punch. And again because of the source material they've essentially done away with a hub world as a point to jump into the levels. Because Hogwarts provides such a great opportunity they've changed the formula this time around. The game feels more like a Metroidvania experience. You'll be crisscrossing back and forth through Hogwarts and into the levels themselves. The world is presented more as a whole. It's a dynamic I'm really enjoying. Everything I've played thus far tells me I'm in for the same solid fun the entire series has provided.

Alan Wake -- Final Opinion.

I have completed Alan Wake with the full one-thousand points. Alan Wake is a really good game. It does everything well. What's the most important aspect to a survival horror title? Some would argue story. Some would argue combat. Some might even argue music. I would argue the more intangible overall mood. Alan Wake's world of Bright Falls, Washington is wonderfully realized. It's full of detail. They even went as far as to the provide the proper constellations for the region at night. I enjoyed the world they created. Graphically it was impressive. The music takes both the cinematic score and soundtrack approach and it does its job well. The sound effects likewise do their job well and the voice work is entirely top notch. The characters are the real stars of Alan Wake. Not a bad one in the bunch. Especially the character of Barry who just so happens to be Leo Getz. You know, Joe Pesci's character from Lethal Weapon 2 through Lethal Weapon 4. Great characters make you get invested in a story. In the best case scenario you're just as sucked in to the events of the game as the character you're controlling. I really enjoyed Alan Wake's story. It's a good story. A sound story. A straight story. A safe story. And that last thing is part of the overriding issue with Alan Wake. As great as the individual parts may be, Remedy never takes a chance. They play it safe. The overall result is a well made and classy survival horror title. There is nothing wrong with being classy. It just means you know you're safe. To be classy you sort of have to play by the rules. So the more experienced audience members know that they're dealing with someone who isn't going to break the rules. If Silent Hill is trying to scar your psyche, and Condemned is trying to make you shit yourself, and Resident Evil wants to provide tension, then there is room for classy. Of course everything horror is subjective. I'm giving Alan Wake an 8.5.

Alan Wake -- Initial Impression.

Another belated initial impression as I've been playing Alan Wake for the last two nights. Alan Wake was developed by the Finnish company Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Remedy initially had the idea for Alan Wake in 2001. It's been a long time coming. It was originally announced at E3 in 2005 via what amounts to a tech demo. It showed up again at E3 2006 and then sort went dark to the point where people were sure it had become vaporware. Over the years it transformed from an entirely open world survival horror title to a more restricted path format. The reasoning being they wanted to control the pacing and that the sandbox format worked against the story they wanted to tell. In fact the cover art on the box describes the title as a psychological action thriller. I've played through the first two chapters thus far and it's clear that this is a great looking game. It's graphically dense. There is a lot going on. Especially at night in the woods. The game also sounds amazing. From the voice work to the music to the sound effects everything works. The combat is surprisingly effective as it forces you to dance with the enemies before killing them. The basic plot has you fighting people that have been taken by the darkness and therefore have a shield of darkness that must be burned off with light before they can be killed by conventional weaponry. It's not a problem when you're dealing with one or two enemies but it can quickly become intense when there are multiple enemies. Especially when they're all throwing weapons at you. The best part of the game so far is in how the premise is really working. Alan Wake is a best selling author suffering from writer's block. He and his wife have come to Bright Falls in rural Washington state to get away from it all. Alan loses a week and finds his wife missing and he's also finding pages of a manuscript he's apparently written that seems to be coming true around him. The game has impressive characters. I've really liked almost every single one I've interacted with. I'm genuinely intrigued by the story. And in a survival horror title, that's a really big plus. The game feels really smart initially. Who knows, maybe it could all go to hell at some point. But it feels early on like they had a smart story and built a potentially great game around it. The game seems inspired by Stephen King's The Dark Half with some Twin Peaks thrown in. I'm really liking this one early on and I hope it stays on track.

3D Dot Game Heroes -- Final Opinion.

E3 2010 has come and gone and the credits have rolled on 3D Dot Game Heroes. Turns out that maybe I didn't need to be so worried about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword as it seems to be going in a good direction. A few more questions will need to be answered before I'll know for sure. So then how did 3D Dot Game Heroes turn out? It turned out to be a solid and charming game. It however is not greatness. The aesthetic works well. The script is full of smart and funny references to a ton of 8-bit games. The overworld is lush with obstacles and the dungeons do get tricky towards the end. The bosses won't be too taxing unless you're going for the trophies. In fact that will greatly determine how much enjoyment you'll likely get out of the game as I found the trophies to be among the worst I've seen to the point of nearly being game breaking. Only the most dedicated should even consider the platinum on this one. The game also has some collision detection issues that will have you swearing to yourself. The swordplay will randomly just fail you from time to time. I think those people who have played the older games will appreciate 3D Dot Game Heroes the most. Especially those who were originally there for them. I'm not sure how much charm the game holds without understanding the references and the like. 3D Dot Game Heroes was worth the effort, but I just don't see myself returning to replay the game years down the line. I'm giving 3D Dot Game Heroes a 7.0.

3D Dot Game Heroes -- Initial Impression.

As we near E3 for 2010 and the impending Zelda reveal, I'm going to be playing 3D Dot Game Heroes. 3D Dot Game Heroes was developed by Silicon Studio and published by Atlus. I'm playing this because I'm more than a little worried about the next Zelda. I'm sort of expecting a hybrid of Nintendo DS mistakes like boats or trains or some other means of removing the proper overworld to explore and Wii Motion Plus controls all made extra simple to insure grandmothers can play the game. I'm expecting them to ruin Zelda as I know it and want it. And 3D Dot Game Heroes is an embrace of everything 8-bit action adventure games once were. The story is about a kingdom that has gone from 2D to 3D and in the process enabled a trapped evil to be freed. You'll search the overworld for dungeons where you'll get a new tool that will further allow you to progress through the world in traditional Zelda fashion. Everything you'd expect is there from swords, shields, bombs, boomerangs, hookshots, potions, and sages to fairies. The game has a charming graphic style that accentuates its 8-bit philosophy. The game also has more references to 8-bit games than most will probably recognize. The music really seems especially designed to evoke 8-bit memories. This genre is my absolute favorite and I treasure almost every chance I get at an action adventure. If 3D Dot Game Heroes can maintain it's initial charm, then I should be in for a treat.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- Final Opinion.

I have completed Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a total time of roughly twenty-one hours. I collected all one-hundred and twenty of the initial stars. There are double that in the second playthrough of course. But like the first game, I'm not compelled to play through the game again for them. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an all around success. The graphics look great. They use the same simplistic art style for maximum graphical impact on the Wii as did the original. Being in true widescreen some of the noticeable artifacts from the original game are for the most part gone. The sound is what you'd expect. All the Mario sounds are there and they sound spot on. The music is great. Especially the mixes of older tracks and of course the Super Mario Galaxy main theme still sounds amazing. The controls actually seem improved. In the original game there were a few moments where the controls would just out and out fail you. Those are gone for the most part. Especially in the transitioning between being right side up and upside down. The game does use motion control and waggle rather extensively. In the more intense sections of the game, a slight bit of movement might cause a death or two. The Wii controls still fail from time to time. In this case it just seems not as much as before. The game initially feels harder but I don't think it actually is when everything is said and done. As I said previously it's more like they just start you off in the mid section of the game with less ramping up. I actually liked the New Super Mario Bros. map system. It's better than the hub world of Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Sunshine. But it's still not as good as Super Mario 64's hub world. I do have to say that Yoshi steals the show. Every level you get to use him in is a plus. He translates properly to 3D here. Unlike say his Super Mario Sunshine performance. The story has been toned way down for Super Mario Galaxy 2. Not that story matters at all in a Mario action game, but it does feel a tad hollow as a result. Super Mario Galaxy contains a lot of 2D sections and it also uses a lot more of the spherical worlds. The more open and sprawling planets of the original are by and large gone. I have to say I did find myself missing them. If you loved Super Mario Galaxy 2, then you'll be getting more of the same. Streamlined, and it hits the ground running. If you weren't a fan of Super Mario Galaxy, then there really isn't a lot to change things for you. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a blast from start to finish and it'll provide a decent challenge and provide you with a lot of replay value should you be looking for such things. I'm giving Super Mario Galaxy 2 a 9. Will this generation see a third 3D Mario game? There is enough time...

Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- Initial Impression.

Next up for me will be Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development Tokyo. Super Mario Galaxy is a first, a 3D sequel within the same generation of hardware. Nintendo has never done that for the Mario series before. The Nintendo 64 only saw Super Mario 64 and the GameCube only saw Super Mario Sunshine. From the time I've spent with the game thus far I can say it's pretty much more Super Mario Galaxy, and that's a good thing. There are some changes of course. They've removed the hub world and replaced it with the New Super Mario Bros. style level select map. New suits like cloud Mario and rock Mario add new abilities to the list of moves alongside returning ones like fire Mario, bee Mario, boo Mario, and spring Mario. They've also added Yoshi back into the mix. Which is a truly welcome addition in my book. The story doesn't matter as the Princess has been kidnapped again. If fact Miyamoto has gone on record saying the story of Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been toned down compared to the truly bizarre metaphysical crap of Super Mario Galaxy. The graphics seem to be improved upon from Super Mario Galaxy. The display is true widescreen. It's taken Nintendo years to get there, but it seems they at least understand that much now. The music seems to be the same high quality as the original. I've gotten the impression that Super Mario Galaxy 2 starts off a bit tougher than the original as well. I'm not saying it's approaching difficult or anything, it's more like you're dumped right into the heart of the game from the start. Let's see what I think once I've reached the purple coin levels and the like. So far so good with Super Mario Galaxy 2. It seems to be just what a sequel should be. More of the same with refinements and better graphics.

Red Dead Redemption -- Final Opinion.

I have completed Red Dead Redemption with the full one-thousand achievement points. It took roughly forty-five hours to one-hundred percent complete the offline game coupled with the fifty plus hours I put into the online game. Ninety-five hours plus later and I can say I'm definitely burned out on Red Dead Redemption. Looking back I'm not sure it was wise jumping all the way into the online portion of the game first. Well, it probably was, as it insured I completed that half. However I probably should have then taken a break from the game and completed another title before returning to the offline game. That concept seems the most sound, and I'll try to remember it for the future. Red Dead Redemption is a great but flawed game. As an open world western it delivers everything you'd expect and want. The world is large, open, and beautifully rendered. The story is more tightly told than previous Dan Houser titles. I really liked what they did with the pacing and the final ten missions or so. It's an interesting gamble. One that pays off for me. It seems the Internet does not agree however as they are vocalizing hatred for the ending. I do have to say that the story does tend to drag through the later half of Mexico. Musically the game gets the job done but in the end never comes off as memorable in a game where you'll feel it probably should have. The voice acting is superb all the way around. The game is packed full of things to do. You'll always be busy. In fact you might be a bit too busy. The constant world events and animal attacks and the like get in the way when you're just trying to get something done. Very much in the same way as the phone calls from Grand Theft Auto IV. There will be a bunch of design decisions that you'll be questioning as you play through the game. Overall Red Dead Redemption delivers on the greater promise, flaws and all. I wouldn't mind a sequel, or more likely prequel. It would give them the chance to refine things to the point of greatness. I'm giving Red Dead Redemption an 8.5. But now I definately need something a little more simplistic in nature...